Deadly Interactions
by HarpD
Summary: Someone wants to take both Parker and Jarod out of the game. An enemy from their past or someone they believe is their friend in the present? Angsty MPJ without a doubt..reviews!For those who begged, for shame! lol Chapter 5 is up!
1. Simultaneous Moves

_Disclaimer: He he. Almost forgot to do this. Ahem, All characters and events in this story are purely fictitious, therefore, all and any similarity to a real person, living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintended by she wrote this. Absolutely no connection to anyone involved in the TV show, especially since they had the bright idea to end the show as they did. Heh_.

Getting out of her newly commissioned corvette, Miss Parker admired the waxy finish to the gleaming fenders. If nothing else, she knew she could always rely on the therapy that was branded retail, from her designer ferragamos to the beauty she got to drive everyday. Dreaming of the new bottle of scotch waiting for her, Parker grabbed the stack of files she had on Jarod for midnight reading and mentally tallied what she had in the fridge to whip up a simple if unhealthy dinner.

That was why she did not notice reflection of sunlight off cold steel or the surreptitious movements behind the hedge across the street from her mother's old summer home.

The first pop was surreal, sounding so close to her; a sharp, high sound in her ears. The succession of gunfire that followed caused her instincts to kick in quickly. She dropped to the ground, her right hand reaching under the back lapel of her leather jacket for her handgun. The other hand resting the front on her car, she chanced a glance over edge, trying to gauge the direction the shots were coming from. The next shot hit the front bender of the car. Parker snarled at the close call before pushing of her haunches to fire off a few rounds herself.

Just in time to feel a bullet tear through the upper tendons of her left shoulder, throwing Miss Parker backwards onto her soft grass lawn. She could feel the pain overtaking her senses quickly, even as she gazed dumbly up at the twilight sky. Dimly, she heard the screech of tires but that never truly registered to Miss Parker as she gain into the quiet welcome embrace of unconsciousness.

A soft whisper, reminiscent of Catherine Parker floated in the midst of her deep slumber.

"_Jarod."_

_

* * *

_

Jarod loped up the back stairs that led to his latest lair, a series in abandoned warehouses and old garment factories that provided him both with the easy access and open space that he still craved even after two years away from the Centre. His latest pretend just over, he had gotten away before the authorities arrived, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Packing his meager belongings and his treasured DSA's he removed virtually any trace of his two week stay, no red book this time either because he knew the Centre was getting a little too close and wanted to put some space between himself and their sweepers. Miss Parker he would not mind seeing again, but lately their phone calls were less of a conversation piece than they were full of pregnant silences. With everything he had told her about her extended family and her mother's death the lines had begun to fade and he was not sure how to define their relationship. Then again, he had never been really sure..

Walking into the underground carpark where he had left the sedan he had bought with cash two weeks before, Jarod took out his cellphone and placed his right thumb over speed dial. While we wanted to hear Parker's voice, he knew he probably could not delay getting as far away from his latest pretend if he wanted to keep his personal 'three-stooges' off his back.

This internal debate was why Jarod held no consideration for his surroundings and didn't notice the two men sitting in a car a few lots across from Jarod's sedan. They were incredibly still, silent and unmoving in the cloak of darkness the dank parking lot provided them.

When they did move, it was with a vengeance, their car quickly pulling out of its lot while the the driver's partner aimed and began to fire in quick succession at Jarod. Years of running and naturally quick relexes allowed Jarod to duck in time and the bullets to 'thunk' harmlessly into the concrete pillars around him. Slamming into the back of one of these pillars, Jarod gasped for breath, his head craned to look at the car as it sped in the other direction, his hands splayed against the cool concrete as his heart and mind raced.

In the midst of all this, he heard a soft whisper going through his head.

"_**Parker!"**_

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	2. Play the Game

Thank you for the reviews, always a pleasure to read. On to the next chapter..

Disclaimer: Look to chapter 1.

Note: I am not sure whether I am made this clear in chapter 1 but the two scenes for both Jarod and Miss Parker happen simultaneously. At least that's how it worked out in my imagination…

Deadly Interactions, Chapter 2

"This is Sydney."

"Where is Miss Parker, Sydney? She's is not picking up her cell, car phone or her home-phone either? Is she at the center?"

The deep baritone that Jarod was known for was laced with panic and fear, his words rushed and nary a pause between the series of questions that shot through the phone.

"Jarod? You sound upset. Are you alright?" Sydney sat forward in his leather office chair, the elbow of the hand that held his cellular phone resting on his desk as he stared intently into space, his eyes narrowed speculatively, his accent pronounced in his questioning.

"I am alright, Sydney. It's Miss Parker that I am concerned with. I feel that she might be in danger."

On the other end of the line, Jarod was just getting into his sedan at the same parking lot that only minutes earlier brought him that much closer to his final resting place. The staccato sound of reminiscent gunfire still rang in his eardrums, banishing all hope of his heart slowing down to a normal pace any time soon.

"Miss Parker left The Centre just under an hour ago Jarod. I believe she should be at home, or at the very least on her way there. Can you tell me what makes you think she is in danger?"

"Sydney, I don't have time to explain. More importantly, I don't think Parker has the time."

"Jarod..Jarod?" Sydney sat back in his chair, musing over his conversation with his pretender, wondering if what Catherine had once predicted might just have room to breathe finally.

* * *

The room was dark and still, the sunlight as it slanted through the wooden blinds catching the floating dust in its progress, the slow movement of the particles a diffusion of the hollowness that the space represented. 

The damp towel that lay carelessly on the leather sofa stood out due to the splash of deep burgundy that tainted its pure white cotton.

Stepping out of the shadows, the darkness leaving his shoulders reluctantly, Jarod plucked it off the sofa, gauging the blood loss while a vice clutched at his heart at what it had to mean about Miss Parker. His deep brown eyes clouded with worry and fear, he moved quickly with his usual stealth towards her bedroom, sliding the doors quietly apart as he caught side of her sleeping form on the bed.

His boots thumping softly on the carpet he walked over to her side, his eyes tracking her progress from the living room to the bed. Apparently, she had used one of her own shirts to wrap her shoulder as she stumbled to her bed, the blood loss and the exertion of tying up her wound with one arm and her teeth sapping all remaining strength. _Never ask for help, never show weakness.._

Bending forward, his leather jacket rustling with the movement he peered at her makeshift bandage, concerned at the blood that he saw seeping through to the surface. However, he didn't have the luxury of worrying long because before he even registered the movement, Parker's other hand had swung up towards him and the barrel of her handgun rested right smack in the middle of his forehead, the metal cool and deadly against his warm skin_. Part of an elite SWAT team for a week and I couldn't even see that coming, Jarod mused grimly._

"Was it you?" the words were said softly, but her teeth were clenched and even clouded with pain, her eyes were afire with lust for vengeance.

"If you're talking about the wound that appears to be bleeding still and whether I am the cause for it I think you know me better than that. Or have all my 3 am phone calls been a waste of effort?" He stared back into her eyes, his dark brown ones flashing in indignation and determination.

Parker sighed, letting her hand fall to the bed. Only Jarod could carry off the hurt and innocent look for a grown man and have her believe it. _Well of course he can, the organization your father owns helped facilitate that didn't it?_

Stripping of his jacket, Jarod laid it on the end of the bed before sitting gingerly beside her, carefully in order to keep from jarring he arm.

Looking at him with incredulity Miss Parker snarled, "What do you think you're doing, Jarod?"

"Since you haven't bothered with the paramedics I am going to take a look at your injury." Smooth and easy logic, he knew anyone would find it hard to argue with him.

"Like hell you are."

_Well, anyone except Miss Parker._

"Parker, I'm here and I know more about this than your average doctor. Will you stop being so stubborn for just a minute at let me take care of it?"

"Arrogant aren't we?"

"Why don't you ask Sydney why."

"Why don't I give you two a chance to catch up face to face while I'm at it? The renewal wing has a vacancy." smiling sweetly at this, the upturn of her lips rapidly turned into a grimace as Jarod peeled back her makeshift bandage, the cloth catching on the torn and bloody skin that lay beneath.

Getting up swiftly to get some hot water and the towels that he glimpsed in her bathroom, Jarod got to work, efficiently cleaning the skin around her wound. Miss Parker could not help but stare at the concentration and devotion he gave to his task, his hands moving expertly and confidently.

"We need to take it out."

"What?" Miss Parker snapped, quickly coming back into the moment and realizing Jarod was looking right at her, his face lined with grim determination.

"The bullet, Parker, we need to take it out. Why didn't you call the parademics, Sam or even your father?"

"None of your damn business, lab-rat" she ground out as she pushed herself up to get a better look at her right shoulder, wincing at the pain that shot through her body.

Jarod watched this woman he had always been unable to truly understand. From her simple but misplaced devotion to a father that never returned the favour to the glimpses he got of humanity which was denied to him when he felt he needed it most. Most of all he could never understand how that little girl he had been mesmerized with from the first moment he had seen her now was able to keep the façade in place even as tears pooled around her eyes or she had a makeshift bandage around her bloody shoulder like now.

"We need to have a talk, Parker."

"What, but it's only 5 in the afternoon! What happened to your modus operandi?" She gasped as she slowly fell back onto her pillow, the effort it had taken to inspect her wound leaving her with nothing to work with.

"It flew out the window when I realized someone was trying to kill us both. At the same time, on the same day."

Her eyes shot to his face at those words, startled at his meaning, at the implications. At that moment she heard her mother's voice again as she whispered through Parker's head.

_**"Play the game, darling" **_

_Hehe, as you can see like Jarod i have forgotten the meaning of sleep and that's why i am updating at odd hourse of the day. Don;t get me wrong i love sleep, just had too much chocolate today..damn its silky smooth dark goodness..yum._

_Must have more?..click the pretty button and make your fingers known…_


	3. A Stranger in the Night

_Disclaimer Wow, a some of you expect a lot from me now and I feel like it's a perfect time to choke, lol. But, I shall persevere! With a good cup of hot chocolate for inspiration..if you haven't guessed already I am a BIG chocoholic, and therefore, and jogger by necessity as well.._

Annnyway, enough about lil' ole me…here's the next chapter, enjoy..

Deadly Interactions

Chapter 3: Stranger in the Night

Jarod sat in the armchair that he had tugged to the side of her bed, keeping her close. His legs resting at the end of the bed, his feet crossed at the ankles, the hours that had passed could be measured by how much he had begun to slouch in the large, cushioned chair.

His elbow resting on its polished wooden armrest, his thumb and index finger holding up his forehead as he supported his head, tilted to the side, his eyes remained fixed on the still form of Parker in the centre of her bed. Outlined by the drifting moonlight, the silk sheets rested delicately against her slender form, and as she shifted slightly and the cloth fell from her shoulder, a part of him yearned for the warmth that her skin promised him.

Sighing softly, Jarod closed his eyes for an instant, weary from the effort it had taken to keep her still, not to mention quiet, long enough to get the bullet out and to patch her up. It was like treating a wild cat with a wounded paw, although he wondered if the literal animal would be the lesser of two evils in this situation..

A small wry grin breaking across his lips, he tried to banish the ache in his heart at the pain that he had seen in her eyes, the tears that he knew she had been holding back just as he was removing the bullet.

He had finally given in and passed her the bottle of scotch she had been yearning for, knowing that it would serve as a crude form of anesthesia, and would also allow her to rest comfortably for the night at least. If nothing else, she had fallen into a deep sleep easily, leaving Jarod to clean up and for now, to keep a close watch on her. _Somebody has to, Parker.._

Opening his eyes as a small sound began to register, he checked to see if she had moved, careful about pressure on her shoulder. The faint buzzing, though, came from deep within the folds of leather, the sound small but insistent.

Reaching for his leather jacket, he saw the time was 4 am, and knew there were very few people who would try to reach him on his cell phone at this hour. Plucking his phone out, he pressed the green call button and spoke softly, his head angling down so as not to disturb Parker.

"Ethan."

"Jarod, where are you?" The panic in his voice shot chills down Jarod's spine, straightening he felt himself growing alert very quickly, his brain assimilating the possibilities.

"I'm with your sister, Ethan. What's wrong?" Deciding not to add that she had been shot although he realized their half-brother's inner voice might have already informed him, he angled his body back towards Parker, his elbows on his knees, leaning forward.

"Get out of the house. I had hoped you weren't there but my mother is telling me you are. Get out of the house, Jarod. Now. They're coming for you."

As his words registered, Jarod felt his heart begin to speed up, the beat hard and hollow in his ears. His eyes lifting, they met Parker's who had slowly awakened at the murmuring she had heard. Woozily, she had tried to recall what had happened, but as she heard the tension in Jarod's voiced, she had remained still, alert to the possibilities.

"Who, Ethan? Who's coming for us?" His eyes fixed to hers, even in the relative darkness, his words came out low and fast.

He didn't wait to hear the response, not when he heard the small creak of a floorboard in the hallway and knew that there wasn't time, his gaze shooting to the closed bedroom door. His muscles tense, but his instincts kicking in quickly as they were wont to do after years on the run, he stood up, whipping the blankets off Parker.

"Up, Parker," whispering low, his voice tight, he barely waited for her to respond. His hand wrapped around her upper arm, fierce and strong, he tugged her out of bed. Clutching his jacket in the other, he gestured for her to put on her robe, moving quickly towards the window.

His face tense, his hands moved quickly, drawing the curtains apart and leaning down to slide the window open. His experience, though, ensured stealth, and when Parker looked up from tying her robe closed, she saw him waiting for her by the widow, a cloak of tension and action wrapped around him.

"Now, Parker," his voice, low and deep, rebuked her and she jerked forward, never for a minute doubting what she was doing.

As she swung a leg out, she heard a rustle right outside her bedroom door, and spurring her on, she moved swiftly to make room for Jarod to come out as well. One hand firmly resting around the upper arm of her uninjured arm, he ducked his large frame under the window sill, his actions controlled but effective.

Taking care to avoid jarring her right shoulder in his haste, Jarod's hasty plan was to get Parker out before returning to deal with the intruders. He had counted two from the different weighted footsteps, but wasn't willing to take the chance of an ambush with an injured and drunk Parker with him.

"Where's my gun?" The whisper was low and gravelly, but the conviction in Parker's voice was unmistakable.

_Ok, not so drunk.._

Moving towards the edge of the roof, Jarod's hand on her back urged her forward, the weight warm and strong.

"What are you going to do, Parker? Your gun hand is out of commission for at least two months." Kneeling down to peer over the side, he noticed the drain-pipe and began to think quickly of a easy way to get Parker down.

Catching the angry look she threw at him, Jarod asked, "What?"

"I'm not one of your helpless victims to be saved, Jarod. I trained with both arms, and I can climb down all by myself." Swinging a leg over the side, she illustrated this, her movements bold but sure.

Even as bemusement hit him, Jarod felt more than saw the movement in the window behind him. Catching the glint of moonlight off metal, he threw himself over the side, his hands moving quickly to guide his way down.

Noticing Parker reaching the lawn, his voice resounded alongside that of the gunshots, that sound dulled by a silencer.

"Go, Parker!"

Dropping the last few feet, he noticed that she deliberately waited for him before taking off. Sprinting behind her, he slowed enough to ensure that there was always a few feet separating them so that the trajectory of the gunfire could not be targeted at her, his head down and his boots kicking up dirt. His eyes fixed on Parker's back; he noticed when her body instinctively cowed at the sound of more gunshots, but still steadily moving forward.

As they reached the trees behind her home, he caught up to her and grabbed her hand, both their heads dipping instinctively as shots targeted at them hit the bark around them in simultaneous dull 'thuds'.

"Thunk!"

His leather-clad arm over his head, Jarod cringed at the sound of the shot whizzing by before hitting the trunk of a tree he rapidly passed.

His hand tight around Parker's, he felt her keep pace with him, working with him well.

After about ten minutes of running, with some substantial distance between the house and them, Jarod halted abruptly. Parker, stopped prematurely, stumbled slightly and he caught her quickly, his arm around her midriff, his back angling over hers.

He felt the breath sawing through her, his own slowing down gradually as well, but it was the fear and panic that had been coursing though him that caused him to tighten his grip imperceptibly, instinctively. He felt her hands rest on the forearm that was wrapped around her stomach, steely and the cords strong, and then straightening slowly with his eyes on the back of her head.

Hearing the _screech_ of tires, he felt reality kicking in, and his head jerked back, his plan to return to confront the attackers banished. Straightening, he let Parker go, watching as she turned towards him, her dark hair falling down over her eyes and around her cheek. When his gaze moved downwards over the robe she wore, he froze, his heart clenched in a vice.

Looking up at him, Parker noticed his stillness. Her eyebrows rising quizzically she followed his line of sight, looking towards the right of her body. She saw the deep red smear, gleaming as the light hit its wetness, her eyes widening, but the pain didn't register, at least not right yet.

"Damn," she whispered, her eyes fixed to her right.


	4. Haven of Midnight

Disclaimer: Look to chapter 1..

_Author's Note: I know it's been a few days but have been a little busy finalizing plans for university. It didn't help that I watched an episode with Zoe and felt like going on a little rampage in my room. I love seeing Jarod sensual and romantic, but he's with the wrong person! (shakes fist at the heavens)_

_ So let's make it right shall we? I hope you enjoy this next chapter!_

Deadly Interactions

Chapter 4: Haven of Midnight

"Damn," she whispered, her eyes fixed to her right.

Jarod took a quick step towards her, his boots crunching on the dry leaves that rustled on the forest floor, his hand reaching out to her right shoulder of its own accord. The wind was picking up, it swirled around their feet, and lifted the hair around Parker's face even as it tickled the small hairs on Jarod's nape, sending a quick shudder down his back.

The blood that seeped through the thick yellow robe Parker wore was startling even in the deep darkness, its wet gleam menacing. About to reach to remove the robe from her shoulder, she was startled to see Jarod ahead of her, his hands gingerly lifting the material, his face still and the lines of his face carved starkly as he concentrated solely on his task.

Parker felt her breath hitching, but she ignored the concerned glance he threw at her because of it, more disturbed by the fact that it wasn't the cold air hitting her open wound but Jarod's proximity, his familiar face and frame that had come to mean so much to her after all these years that had caused the change in the cadence of her breathing.

_It must be the adrenaline, it must.._

Jarod's large hand was wrapped around her slim shoulder, his thumb carefully shifting aside the cloth of the large t-shirt she wore to bed away, the firm pale skin of her shoulder warm underneath the pad of his thumb, trying to get a closer look at her one-day old gunshot wound. His heart had picked up its pace again when he had seen the blood, it had hit him square in the chest that again, one again, he had failed to protect her. He caught her scent as he bent closer to his task, the sweet lavender wrapping its tendrils around his brain, his soul, but when he saw the way their escape and sprint through the woods had ripped apart her new stitches, his attention quickly shifted back.

Parked sighed, glad that it wasn't as bad as it looked, reaching to tug the shirt back up over her shoulder. She was interrupted by the sound of cloth tearing.

"Jarod!" she exclaimed, her eyes incredulous as she watched him rip a length of cloth from the bottom of his black cotton muscle shirt.

His eyes moving to hers, he kept them there as he finished his task.

"We need to stop the bleeding until we can get somewhere with the supplies needed to tighten those stitches. What would you suggest, Miss Parker? That I grab a couple of dead leaves and slap it on?" Moving to wrap the makeshift bandage around her right shoulder, he ignored the step she took back, gently yanking her back with the other hand on the curve of her waist.

Parker could feel the anger stirring to life inside of her, resentment at being treated like a rag doll to be yanked and pulled, and she knew it was irrational because he was only helping. It was just thatbeing around Jarod always made her feel a little off kilter, her hands mentally outstretched in an effort to keep her balance. More importantly, the fact that he was taking care of her again made her feel like a vulnerable female. And, it went without saying, Parker ever rarely felt like that..

Satisfied with his work, Jarod stepped back from her, a sigh escaping as he felt some of the tension leave his body..

"You done?" she snapped.

"You're welcome Parker." His lips quirked, his eyes were captured by the blue-green colour of hers, mysterious in the shadows.

Looking at her, her hair gleaming raven black in the moonlight, her shoulder bandaged and her face bearing small scratches from passing branches, she still looked like the most beautiful woman he had ever known. Even the control she exerted on herself, sometimes to unhealthy extremes, was just another part about her he admired.

Feeling the winds pick up, Jarod look up at the sky only to feel the first drops hit his face squarely. Realising that in less than ten minutes it would begin to pour, he zipped up his leather jacket and turned to her.

"We need to keep moving."

She had been tightening her robe but at his words she looked up. She straightened her shoulders and Jarod felt himself stiffening, preparing fo the blow he know was to come when she rejected his support yet again.

"Look, Jarod. I appreciate your help tonight, but this is where this ends. I will found out which idiot is orchestrating this and put a bullet in his brain if it comes to it." Her words clipped, she looked straight into his eyes, her resolve unshakeable.

Jarod could feel the frustration, the exasperation building.

"Don't you get it, this is bigger than petty sibling rivalries and centre politics," he knew from the way her eyes narrowed that he was going about this the wrong way, "this is a player bigger than all of this, and the fact that we are clueless only gives him a dangerous edge!"

Stepping close to him, the rustle of leaves and the soft patter of rain paling in comparison to the glare she was affording him Parker snarled, "And what would you suggest, lab rat? That you and I join forces? Reality check, Jarod, you and I aren't team mates, we're on separate sides of the metal bars. I have taken care of myself all this time _in spite _of you." She saw the effect her last words had on him, had planned it as such, but the slow pain that rose in his brown eyes gave her no satisfaction, just an odd feeling of hollowness.

"When your mother died, you cried in my arms Parker. When you lost Thomas, I saw you break and watched over you. When we were so close to answers about your mother only to have it snatched away center-style, you cried on the phone with me. Tell me, who was there for you yesterday when someone tried to take you out?" Jarod spoke the words softly, meaningfully.

Parker looked away from his eyes, feeling a weakness she didn't want to admit to.

"I worked hard to be where I am at the Centre, Jarod. It's all I know, it's steeped in my family," she held up her hand to forestall the words she knew were to come, "yes, I know we aren't the Brady brunch, but I still love my father."

Looking back at him, "You're telling me to choose between you and my family."

Jarod felt the pain in his gut but ignored it, determined to convince her.

"I am telling you to choose life, Parker. To use our temporary alliance to your advantage until we find who is behind this and ensure both our safety. I can run Parker, but you would be an easy target."

Wanting to respond to what she considered an insult in his final words, Parker could feel a headache coming on, a result of the tumult that roared in her head. She had come to realise this last year that the one person she found herself trusting was Jarod, as much as the admission came difficult to her. And her father had let her down before, many times. She would be on her own, especially since she would try to keep Sydney and Broots out of this.

"Fine," she stated, "But this changes nothing Jarod, when this is over it's back to the status quo."

Satisfied, Jarod grin was wide and gleeful, reminiscent of a child when he got his way. He watched her as she turned to walk towards the general direction of the road, noticing the way she held her right shoulder stiffly as she moved.

"Somehow I doubt that, Parker" he whispered.

Pulling his collar up as the rain picked up, he jogged the few metres it took to catch up with her.

* * *

Her arms wrapped around her upper body, Parker felt a shiver tear through her, rattling her bones. She peered through the sheet of rain, the thick film of water that covered the world around her, and wondered how long they had been walking. 

"Where is the damn road?" she muttered.

Jarod glanced at her, smiling a little at the way her angry mutter was broken by the way her teeth chattered. But then his eyes fell to her shoulder and realized that, weak from blood loss and little rest in the last few hours, she was pushing herself to an unhealthy limit.

Turning back around, he saw a dark structure to his right and made a decision.

"You need to rest," he spoke without thinking, and winced when he saw the glare she threw his way, her eyes sharp with anger.

"I need to rest!" the words came out in a rush, it would have been comical to an outsider the deer-like fear that came to his eyes. Jarod had liked the quiet peace that had prevailed since their conversation last and didn't think he had it in him for another round.

"Fine, any bright ideas? Let me guess, a little hut made from twigs?" She had stopped walking.

"Ah, so you found that lair. It was one of my favourites. Did you appreciate the gift?" He thought of the grass skirt he had left for her.

" Good firewood, thanks pez-head."

Jarod looked at her, torn between amusement and worry. She was drenched through, her shirt and robe providing very little protection from the elements, her hair plastered to her head and body bent to contain her shudders. His eyes dropped to her bare feet, grimacing at the blisters and dirt he saw, but when she moved to rub one foot against the other, trying to contain the warmth between both, he felt a stir of protectiveness the likes of which he had when he saw injustice heaped on the helpless.

_Why can't i hate you, Parker.._

Looking up at her he turned to point at the cabin he had seen before, "I think it's deserted and will give us enough shelter for tonight. We both need to get out of these wet clothes, and I need to check on your injury, the bandage must be useless by now."

Surprisingly, Parker didn't argue with him but just turned and started walking towards the cabin, her back held ramrod straight even as he saw the hard trembling that ran through her frame. His concern mounting, he walked beside her, wanting to help her, support her, but at the dismissive glance she threw he turned his attention to running ahead and scoping the cabin out.

A slighted structure, it looked like it had been left for dead years now, the screen door hanging by a nail and the windows obscured by a thick layer of grime. Climbing onto the rickety porch, Jarod used a sleeve to rub at the glass, peering into the structure. Confirming that it was deserted he pushed at the door, not surprised when it collapsed inward. Leaving it, he listened to the shiver that racked through his frame and headed for the stove, hoping to generate some warmth before Parker walked in.

Practically falling into the dank embrace of the cabin that looked like it had barely made through the past few years, she watched Jarod light the stove, gravitating towards the warmth easily. She didn't bother to offer help when he moved to close the wooden door, or when he scrounged through the cupboard, locating a few scattered food cans and bed sheets.

Grateful when she felt her hands warming, the pin pricks of pain from the scraped skin penetrating, she watched the way he moved efficiently. A part of her was undeniably attracted to the strength, the clean lines of his body. He had bulked up, she noticed, but in all the right places.

Ripping the blanket off the single bed in the room, Jarod moved quickly towards Parker, disturbed by how quiet she was and he knew that her shivers would get worse before they subsided completely, her body battling to acclimatize.

He moved to wrap the cotton blanket around her shoulders, stepping close behind her, his head bent and his nose close to her hair. He felt rather than heard the whoosh of breath that escaped her and it pulled at something within him. Stepping back to unzip his jacket, he yanked it off, dropping it on the lone table in the room before turning back to her. He felt her eyes on him, but irregardless of how she would react he moved towards her again, his eyes on hers as he pulled her into his arms.

His arms holding the blanket close around her, his hands splayed on her back, he felt her stiffen but did not release his hold.

It was then he who stiffened, shocked when she seemed to completely relax against him, her hands moving to rest on his shoulder, her body falling gently against his, her head tucked under his chin.

And for the first time in a long time, Jarod could not think, could not bring himself to speak or even to move. One thought did come breaking in..

_How can I ever run from her again?_


	5. Intruder of Solace

_Author's Note: I just watched the first Pretender movie and all i gotta say is: poor Brootsy! He gets placed in the most awful situations which i doubt fit into any defintion of his job description by any stretch of imagination. _

_A__nyway, here's the next chapter for this fic, hope you like it (by the way, I detest Zoe vehemently..it's irrational but there..)_

Disclaimer: Refer to chapt 1

Chapter 5: Intruder of Solace

The dark chrome of the phone receiver gleamed in the empty cavernous room, the sunlight struggling through the blinds closed tightly. As he reached for it, he felt the familiar rush of anticipation, his heartbeat picking up and the tips of his fingers beginning to tingle. His full breasted tuxedo stretched as he placed the phone against his ear.

"Is it done?" he trusted the tiny white contraption, the voice converter that he used with all his phone calls with this particular employee.

"No, sir. Both escaped."

His hand tightened, feeling the sweat build on the surface of his palm against the cool metal of the phone, the pressure he exerted seen in the way the blood drained from his fingers.

"I gave you their exact locations. I practically placed them in your lap and yet you dare to inform me that you have failed yet again!" he tried to control the surge of anger that closed on his nerves, his throat.

"We believe they were warned beforehand. And we are closing in on them again, sir. I assure you that they will be disposed off by the end of today." He could hear the fear in the other man's voice, the tremors evidence of his knowledge of his employer's lack of mercy on all points.

"You have twelve hours. I have spent years planning the demise of the Centre, to have it at my mercy to do with as I please, and these two are the key to its future. I will wait no longer."

Not waiting for a response he slammed the handset down. But it wasn't enough, it didn't ease the frustration and agitation they way he needed it to, so he picked up the entire thing, yanking the cord out of its socket violently before throwing it to the wall across from him, the mayhem of the discordant sounds comforting him.

* * *

_She came out of the shadows, deluged in fog, the white gossamer of her gown untouched by the dirt and grime that seemed to surround and invade Parker's mind and soul. _

"_Mom?" These words were tremulous, the lone tear running down her cheek as her trembling lips tried to call out to her._

"_Play the game, my darling. It will keep the both of you together, once and for all."_

_The words barely registered for Parker, her eyes fixed on her mother's figure, her face, drinking in everything she could as quickly as she could. _

"_I don't understand."_

_Parker jerked at the sound of a loud retort, wondering at the black cloud that began to seep into the soft white that surrounded the two. And she could only watch dumbly as a drop of dark red appeared on her mother's chest, the pool growing rapidly, its fringes lapping out at the material as it grew, hungry to spread._

"_Mama, No!" She felt herself screaming and tried to get up, to reach her, a futile attempt because she felt herself weakening quickly as well. Why? _

_Looking down at herself, gasping for breath, Parker saw the identical stain of blood growing quickly, spreading with a vengeance and began to scream..  
_

Parker jerked awake, her hand grabbing at her chest, looking down at herself in abject terror and panic. She could feel the breath sawing through her throat, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she clutched at the spot where the blood should be, where the bullet should have been. Red hot pain screeched from her shoulder, she had forgotten about her injury and in the throes of waking from her nightmare had stretched the stitches yet again. Groaning, she eased back against the wall beside the pallet, allowing it to brace her shoulders.

"Was it about your mother?"

Her head whipped up, her dark hair flying, her eyes quickly searching and settling on the lone figure in the doorway, one hand resting on the jamb as he gazed at her. The shadows flitted against his face, the small blue flame of the stove barely surviving the struggle against the pitch-black night.

Taking a deep breath, Parker let her eyes run over him, feeling the cold wind of the wet night caress her skin as it entered the door he left open.

"What was about my mother?" She knew what he meant, but did not want to admit it to him and perhaps even herself how her mother's face, how these dreams tortured her.

She heard a deep sigh, and felt him push away from the door, coming forward to the stove.

"Your nightmare, Parker. It was about your mother wasn't it?" He turned one of the knobs on the stove, trying to increase the flame.

Reaching for the blanket on the bed, her hand froze as she remembered what had happened before she had fallen asleep. She had let him hold her, had wanted to be held and let him lead her to the bed. She had fallen asleep to the comforting feel of his hand holding hers. Her confusion, the helplessness she had felt at the realization that if it wasn't for Jarod, she might not have gotten away from her house in time had left her mentally exhausted and she had given in to the need to lean on him, for just a moment.

_Dammit.._

Wrapping the blanket around her, Parker threw a glare his way, "Leave the psych analysis to Sydney, won't you."

She saw his face tighten, his cheekbones and jaw outlined starkly by the light of the flames and felt her pulse quicken. Something primal at the pit of her stomach was responding to Jarod and Parker wasn't sure how to deal with it. This man, no, this lab-rat, she chided herself into thinking, was the ticket to her freedom from the Centre, nothing more, nothing else.

Even as she tried to comfort herself with that thought, the whispers began to start, and she tried to mask a groan as they began to swirl and confound her senses, the soft whimsical sounds insistent, pulling her in.

_They're coming.._

"Parker?"

Jarod had saw the way she held her head, one hand massaging her forehead as if she had been hit by a splitting headache and recognized the signs instantly. He had been around Ethan enough to know when the Inner Sense would speak to him, demanding his attention even as it caused him to double over in pain sometimes. He moved to sit beside her, shaking off the dark clutches of the brood he had been submerged with as he watched her sleep, unsure of what to do but unable to see her like this without needing to help.

Parker felt the bed shift beneath his weight, and the part of her that still did not know how to deal with the whispers and the visions wanted to reach out to him, but the dominant Parker retreated into herself, away from him. Looking up at him, squinting slightly, she minced out,

"I'm fine. It's just a headache. Believe it or not, I usually get them around 3 am." She threw a glare at him with the last statement.

He watched her, knew she was just trying to reassure herself more than him. The light from the flames softened her features, her skin warm and smooth, and Jarod felt his fingers tighten with the urge to reach out and touch her.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Parker was staring at him, realizing that he must have been standing at the doorway for a while before she had woken up from her nightmare.

Smiling, understanding that she was uncomfortable talking about the visions she got about her mother, Jarod pushed himself up and walked back towards the open doorway, the streak of lightning across the sky throwing a brilliant light across him.

"I rarely sleep. I have the Centre to thank for that."

Parker watched the way he leaned against the jamb as he spoke, his hands coming up to rest across his shoulders in a self-embrace, his gaze fixed on the darkness of the night, his shpulders bowed inward ever so slightly. The strength he exuded in his white singlet, molding to his wide shoulders and carved chest muscles, were such a contradiction to the vulnerability that his posture connoted, to the sadness in his face.

Parker had to look away from him, trying to ignore how well she felt him, and how much his pain touched hers.

"And you're trying to return the favour with me?" she tried for a light tone, but it came out rather as a hurt question.

His head turning to gaze at her, his eyes softened, his lips twitching.

"No, Parker, with you it's about trying to retrieve something I am terrified I have lost."

Her eyes caught by his, she inclined her head slightly.

"What?" The words were soft, the bite gone from her tone.

There was a short pause, both staring at each other, Jarod leaning in the doorway in a self-embrace and Parker leaning against the wall, her knees drawn to her chest and a blanket wrapped around her, her hair mussed and her blue eyes soft with sleep.

"Your friendship." He kept his eyes on her, trying to gauge her reaction, a small flame of hope coming to life in the pit of chest. He sighed when she looked away, her head back against the wall, her eyes fixed on the blue flames of the stove beside the bed.

"We are not children anymore, Jarod. This situation is bigger than you or me now."

The words were said tonelessly, the voice could even be construed as defeated. She wanted to drown his words out, wanted to ignore her life for a while, but felt herself being lulled into the conversation. Jarod was still one of the few people she trusted completely and when she spoke to him she inadvertently felt herself opening up, just as she had done when they were kids.

He knew her deepest secrets and fears.

"Is it, Parker? Or do you just tell yourself that to get through the day?"

He felt the same need to show her, prove to her that if she would just turn to him, she wouldn't find it so difficult to smile anymore, that she could lean on someone without being afraid it would blow up in his face. It was this need that brought him off the door-jamb, that propelled him towards where she sat on the one dinghy pallet in the rundown cabin, his boots hard against the planks of wood that rested beneath.

He crouched down in front of her, his hand resting on her foot and felt the warmth of her skin through the makeshift bandages that he had wrapped around her feet by tearing a couple more strips from his shirt, unable to stand the sores and deep scratches he had seen when she had been sleeping.

Looking up at her from his squat, he tried to catch her eyes, wanted the contact to help drive in his point.

"Yesterday when I got shot, Parker, it was _your_ name that screamed in my ear. I _felt_ you with me at that second just the way I used to feel your sadness at the Centre."

His elbow resting on the bed, he leaned up to catch her chin, guiding her eyes to rest on his. He saw they way they gleamed in the firelight, the tears that pooled at the corners trembling even as the rest of her face stayed expressionless.

"Thinking you had gotten shot, seeing you lying so still in your bed last night, I felt a fear so strong that I knew that even if you reject _this_, reject _us_, I will _always_ feel a need to protect you, to look out for you."

She still did not respond, her eyes fixed on his, but he felt the way her foot shook under his touch and felt himself leaning upwards, one hand resting on the mattress as he pushed himself upwards and towards her, beginning to feel the electricity that sparked between them.

Parker watched him come closer into her personal space, and she told herself to push him away, to express disgust at the thought of him touching her, but her heart was sick of the anger and the frustration that she had tried to pound into it, and she felt herself giving in to Jarod.

His large frame hovering over hers, he stared into her eyes for a few seconds, seeing her assent, his own eyes smoky with need, before inclining his head to reach her lips, pressing gently against hers, the chaste kiss reminiscent of the one she had once bestowed upon him.

Parker felt her nerves responding, the exhilaration shooting through her surprised her and she felt one hand rising to touch him even as her lips parted slightly, the aggressiveness she usually displayed with men gone with this one man. There was only tenderness and mutual need here, an intimacy she had never felt with anyone but Thomas, and even with Thomas it had never been this potent.

When she placed one hand against his cheek, caressing the side of his face even as Jarod moved to deepen the kiss, he felt the slow heat building between them, and could not keep in the husky grown that rose from the pit of his throat. The passion between them was unmistakable, and when he moved to place one knee on the mattress to get closer to her, both hands cupping her face even as he molded her lips to his, he felt her straighten her legs, her arms stretching to reach around her neck as she pulled him closer.

Parker could not think, her every sense was pushed to the limit as she touched and tasted Jarod, and she ignored the whispers calling for her attention, her bruised heart soothed by this moment between them.

_They're coming!_

The voice in her head was a loud screech, screaming at her, pounding at her skull, and Parker felt herself jerking away from Jarod with a yell, both hands grabbing her skull.

Jarod, confused and a little dazed, saw the way her features were contorted with pain. Alarmed, his hands instinctively covered hers, even as he bent his head down to look into hers, trying to comfort her with his voice and his touch.

It was then that he heard the footstep on the porch, the sound soft but distinct to the trained ears of the Pretender. Terrified that it might be the two assailants from Parker's house, and her still clutching at her skull in pain, Jarod whipped off the bed and reached for the knob on the stove, with one flick of his wrist plunging the entire cabin into darkness.

In a half-crouch, his heart beating fast and loud in his ears, he reached for Parker and dragged her off the bed and into his arms. She began to struggle, the pain from her skull receding and growing incensed at why she was being yanked. Placing his lips against her ear, his hand tight around her waist as he held her back to his front, his eyes fixed on the vague lines of the doorway, he whispered to her, "There's somebody out there."

Parker stilled instantly, her muscles coiled and alert as she looked to the doorway as well.

With a piercing roll of thunder came the bright streaks of lightning across the dark sky, the stark white light thrown around the frame of the man in the doorway, bent around the lines of his body as he looked into the room, the gun in his hand reflecting the light for a terrifying instant.

Then the lightning was gone, and the entire cabin was steeped in darkness while its three occupants held very still, their halting breath barely stirring the dank air.

* * *

A/N: Whaddya think?  



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